2005 Suzuki Ignis GLX 4Grip 1.5 VVT from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Faults:

Various interior rattles.

Rattling/loose parcel shelf-bad design.

Creaking seats.

Atrocious fuel economy and poor torque.

Doors hard to shut.

Stiff gear change.

General Comments:

This car was purchased as I live in a rural area and need traction and ground clearance to do my job. All of the statistics seemed OK and it ticked all the boxes, so I ordered a new one. After using it for 5000 miles, I felt that I had given it a fair chance to shake down and be fault free.

I then decided it was so awful that I could not live with it a minute longer. I traded it in and lost £3500 in 15 weeks.

There are so many design faults that every time I used it, I got annoyed. The ONLY saving grace is that if driven very hard, to maximum revs down very greasy backroads, it is well balanced, grippy and has good braking ability. If driven like this, expect 20 mpg, a dentistry bill and a headache. It just cannot be driven gently as there is no torque, the gearbox is obstructive and the ratios are poorly spaced. You have to change from 5th to 3rd to reach 4000rpm, to open up the VVT valves enough to give power to overtake. Think two stroke power band and you're on track. It is hard riding with hard seats and very tiring to use for journeys over 50 miles. Add to this a stupid mpg display that is distracting and confirms the abysmal economy, awful stereo speakers, no blind spot curve on the mirrors, sun visors that are too long, doors that never shut first time, parcel shelf strings that detach constantly, an ignition switch which is hard to get the key in, an interior light which can only be turned off by removing the bulb if you have to leave a door or the boot open (eg picnics), fiddly bonnet release (hard to find under bonnet edge), a ridiculously complex operation to unlock, remove and lock the fuel cap (daily with the fuel economy), indicator stalks that crunch on and off, assorted rattles and creaks and you have a car which could be likened to self harm.

They should issue them as a punishment for motoring offences.

It really is that bad.

It is that bad that I traded for a Jimny JLX+ (see report) after enjoying its torque, economy and better quality when used as a courtesy car while the dealers tried to sort the Ignis out. Seriously, a JIMNY. The Jimny is never going to be a perfect car, but it has so much character, is easier to live with, and is far easier to drive with engine pull from tickover. The build quality is far superior owing to being built in Japan, not Hungary like the Ignis, and there are few irritations.

DO NOT BELIEVE THE IGNIS ECONOMY DATA; as a test I drove at a constant 50mph on a long run and managed a best of 35.5mpg. I averaged 26mpg over 5000 miles, mostly on longer runs. The car was tested and retested by the dealer and was running OK. I get an average of 37mpg in the Jimny, for identical work, which posts a worse official economy figure.

If you must have five doors and four wheel drive, you are limited in this budget, but buy something other than an Ignis; or buy secondhand. If three doors are OK, try a Jimny. If you can live with the size, bounciness and quirks, I would recommend A Jimny.

As a testament to my story, check all the 4Grips under six months old for sale, I saw 37 in one day on the Auto Trader website. Be happy; avoid a 4Grip.

16th Mar 2006, 03:00

6th May 2006, 05:25

After trading this 4Grip in 2 months ago for a Jimny, I thought I'd read my report again. It is hard to believe how bad this car was, but I run a 2006 Jimny now and my parents run a 2006 Wagon R, and both of these are a world away in refinement, quality and satisfaction compared to the Ignis.

It's down to personal choice, but my advice would be that if you are considering a Suzuki, the Wagon R is better as a 5 door car than any Ignis (boxy looks aside!), and the Jimny is altogether better as a four wheel drive.

The 4Grip is a very poor compromise with its full time 4WD, (not more economical selectable 2WD and 4WD as in the Jimny), as it is compromised off road, with poor clearance and no low ratio 'box, and awful on it, with all the power lost in the heavy transmission, resulting in frustrating constant gear changes and tragic economy.

I really did think that all cars were now good, and poor cars were no longer made. I was wrong and it cost me.

The new SX4 looks interesting, but I wouldn't trust the economy figures for the 4Grip version...